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Family remembers Bluffton teen killed in weekend crash

Friends and family of 18-year-old Chrissy Barrett shared memories of the teen's life and personality Monday afternoon. Barrett died Saturday morning in a single vehicle crash on Bluffton Parkway. The driver of the vehicle survived, but Chrissy died when the car left the road and crashed into the trees.

Friends and family of 18-year-old Chrissy Barrett shared memories of the teen's life and personality Monday afternoon. Barrett died Saturday morning in a single vehicle crash on Bluffton Parkway. The driver of the vehicle survived, but Chrissy died when the car left the road and crashed into the trees.

Updated: 8:39 PM EDT Aug 29, 2016

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Family remembers Bluffton teen killed in weekend crash

Friends and family of 18-year-old Chrissy Barrett shared memories of the teen's life and personality Monday afternoon. Barrett died Saturday morning in a single vehicle crash on Bluffton Parkway. The driver of the vehicle survived, but Chrissy died when the car left the road and crashed into the trees.

Friends and family of 18-year-old Chrissy Barrett shared memories of the teen's life and personality Monday afternoon. Barrett died Saturday morning in a single vehicle crash on Bluffton Parkway. The driver of the vehicle survived, but Chrissy died when the car left the road and crashed into the trees.

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"Chrissy was the buffer," said Valerie Barrett, Chrissy's mother. "She wanted to make everybody happy. She loved people and she didn't want anyone being unhappy."

Now her mother Valerie and older sister Tabitha are forced to adjust to life without Chrissy, a girl they described as fun-loving and happy.

"She'd go out of her way to find one of her friends that was unhappy and take her to lunch to make her feel better," said Barrett.

Now the family is using memories like that one to remain positive for Chrissy. The family is considering a New Orleans style funeral with bright colors and a celebratory atmosphere. Chrissy's mom told WJCL News she hopes her friends show up in bright colors to the funeral services and said pink was Chrissy's favorite color.

"Right now I just want her buried at Church at the Cross and I want her comfortable," said Barrett. "I want all her friends to come out and celebrate. She would never want them all in black and white and I hope they don't show up that way."

Bright flowers line the memorial site on Bluffton Parkway. Orange markings on the road show where the car she was riding in skid off the highway and into the woods.

Family members are choosing to not focus on the crash, but on the life Chrissy led during her short 18 years.

"You would be amazed at the friends she has- you can't count," said Tabitha Johnson, sister. "A thousand people have been here to support us, to help us and try to get through this."

Chrissy loved SnapChat and Johnson says she sent an eerie message to family members just hours before her death. The photo showed Chrissy with a gold filter over her face. Johnson said Chrissy alluded to the fact that she'd "be a beautiful angel."

"After the wreck I went to the scene and I had basically her above me- there was a glow above my head- of the same color that was in the picture," said Johnson.

The family believes its a sign that Chrissy is okay.

"As far as I'm concerned, whatever he had planned for her, I guess she reached it," said Barrett. "I wanted more, we all wanted more but I'm happy to get the 18 that I had with her."

Funeral services are currently being arranged for Church of the Cross in Bluffton.

WEBVTT 3 CHRISSY BARRETT'S MOTHER AND SISTER TOLD ME TODAY THEY LOST THEIR ANGEL. THEY SAY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY STOPPED BY THEIR HOME .. AND THAT'S A TRUE TESTAMENT TO HOW MANY LIVES CHRISSY TOUCHED DURING HER SHORT TIME HERE ON EARTH.3SOT VALERIE BARRETT "CHRISSY WAS THE BUFFER.SHE WANTED TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY.SHE LOVED PEOPLE.AND SHE DIDN'T WANT ANYONE BEING UNHAPPY." NOW HER MOTHER VALERIE AND BIG SISTER TABITHA ADJUST TO LIFE WITHOUT CHRISSY...SOT VALERIE BARRETT "SHED GO OUT OF HER WAY TO FIND ONE OF HER FRIENDS THAT WAS UNHAPPY...TAKE HER TO LUNCH TO MAKE HER FEEL BETTER." THEY'RE USING MEMORIES LIKE THAT ONE TO REMAIN POSITIVE FOR CHRISSY... THE FAMILY IS CONSIDERING A "NEW ORLEANS" STYLE FUNERAL ... THEY HOPE HER FRIENDS SHOW UP IN BRIGHT COLORS IN HER HONOR...LIKE HER FAVORITE COLOR PINK.SOT VALERIE BARRETT "RIGHT NOW ITS 1,2,3 AND RIGHT NOW I JUST WANT HER BURIED AT CHURCH AT THE CROSS, AND I WANT HER COMFORTABLE.AND I WANT ALL HER FRIENDS TO COME OUT AND CELEBRATE.SHE WOULD NEVER WANT THEM ALL IN BLACK AND WHITE AND I HOPE THEY DON'T SHOW UP THAT WAY." BRIGHT FLOWERS LINE THE MEMORIAL SITE ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY. AND ORANGE MARKINGS ON THE ROAD SHOW WHERE THE CAR SHE WAS RIDING IN SKID OFF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO THE WOODS. THE DRIVER SURVIVED...BUT CHRISSY DIED INSTANTLY.SOT, TABITHA JOHNSON "YOU WOULD BE AMAZED AT THE FRIENDS SHE HAS- YOU CAN'T COUNT.A THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HERE TO SUPPORT US- TO HELP US- TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS." CHRISSY LOVED SNAP CHAT...AND SHE SENT AN EERIE MESSAGE TO HER FAMILY MEMBERS JUST HOURS BEFORE HER DEATH...ASKING THEM WOULDN'T SHE MAKE A BEAUTIFUL ANGEL...SOT TABITHA JOHNSON "AND AFTER THE WRECK I WENT TO THE SCENE AND I HAD BASICALLY HER ABOVE ME- SHE HAS A GLOW ABOVE HER HEAD- OF THE SAME COLOR THAT WAS IN THE PICTURE." THE FAMILY BELIEVES IT'S A SIGN...THAT SHE'S OKSOT VALERIE BARRETT "AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED WHATEVER HE HAD PLANNED FOR HER I GUESS SHE REACHED IT.I WANTED MORE, WE ALL WANTED MORE BUT IM HAPPY TO GET THE 18 THAT I HAD WITH HER."3 FRIENDS OF CHRISSY CREATED A "GOFUNDMEPAGETHAT WILL LINK TO THE ARTICLE ON WJCL DOT COM. SO FAR THEY'VE RAISED 900 DOLLARS OUT OF THE 4 THOUSAND DOLLAR GOAL. THAT MONEY WILL GO TOWARDS THE FAMILY'S FUNERAL EXPENSES. REPORTING IN BLUFFTON, MEGHAN SCHILLER WJCL 22 NEWS.3